These Haunted Walls
by Gage39
Summary: The X-Men disappeared several years ago.  The Professor's thoughts about their last mission.


These Haunted Walls

* * *

><p>I remember when<p>

There used to be

Laughter and

Shouts as people

Moved through these

Halls and lived their

Lives, never thinking

That it would end

But it did and now

There is nothing

But silence

A beauty with

Red hair moves

Silently as she

Walks side by side

With a young man

Wearing a red visor

Behind them flies

A white haired

Weather witch

A young girl

With two white

Streaks in her brown

Hair smiles up at a

Tall man who has

His arm wrapped

Around her shoulder,

Metal claws ready

To leap to defend

In a moment's instance

In an office a man

In a wheelchair

Sits and watches

As they leave,

Not knowing

That it would

Be the last time

It was a routine

Mission

They were to stop

A new mutant

That was harming

The humans

I watched them

Leave, tossing

Promises over their shoulders

That they would

Soon return

I waited for several

Hours before

Consulting Cerebro

Horror filled me when

I realized that I

Couldn't find any of them

Not even a trace of

Wolverine's rage was

Made known to me

How can this be?

How can the X-Men

Be vanquished?

How can they

Be fallen?

How can they

Be condemned

To lie in darkness

Forever, never

Again to rise?

How can Jean Grey

No longer be

Breathing?

How can Scott

No longer shoot

Red bolts from

His eyes?

How can Storm

Be condemned

To lie still

For all of eternity

With no sun?

Where is Rogue's

Broken body lying?

Is it next to one

Of her teammate's

Or perhaps next

To an enemy?

What could have made

Logan's heart stop

Beating? What

Could have defeated

The mighty Wolverine?

What happened

To my X-Men?

Where do they lie?

Are they still alive?

Could it be they

Found a way

To shield themselves

From Cerebro's

Ever present search?

Could they still be

Walking the streets,

Laughing as they do so?

But if so why have

They not yet returned?

Could it be that they

Have grown weary

Of being X-Men?

Could they be tired

Of helping protect

The innocent humans?

Could they simply be

Tired of life in general?

Jean Grey, what has

Become of your mind?

Do you still move

Objects through the

Air and probe someone's

Mind on occasion?

Has the loyal Scott

Turned traitor?

Do his eyes still

Bring down enemies

Or does he simply

Keep his eyes closed

Tight?

Do you still control the weather

My beautiful weather witch?

Do your slender hands

Still summon the power

Of a hurricane? Or do you

Summon a small breeze

These days?

Why does Rogue not answer

My desperate pleas?

Does she still hide her

Beautiful body underneath

Layers of clothing?

Or can she do the

Forbidden and touch

Those she wishes too?

What has caused the

Powerful heart of the

Wolverine to stop

Beating? What terrible

Acts brought about his end?

Do your eyes still

Burn with unchecked

Rage, my friend?

Do you still unsheathe

Your claws at those

Who would dare

Harm your precious

Rouge? Do you still

Bait Scott in an

Effort to get him

To loosen up? Do

You still lust after

Jean? Do you still

Keep them safe?

Did you fall one by

One? Did Scott

Fall first taking

A shot meant

For Jean? Did

Rogue get hurt

So badly that she

Was dying? Did

Wolverine touch

Her one last time?

Did he give her his

Healing power in

Exchange for his

Own life? Did she

Rise and take

Vengeance on the

Men who killed him?

Did she and Storm battle

Side by side? Did

Storm fall first or did

Rogue? Was Rogue

The last to fall?

Did she fall at all?

Did she live and

Flee as the one

Who gave his life

For her did?

Did any of you survive?

Did any of you

Stagger to your

Weary feet and

Make your way

To the door?

Did any of you

Take a final

Look at the broken

Bodies of your

Teammates, your

Friends? Did you

Shed a final tear

For those fallen in

Battle? Did any

Of you feel so

Overwhelmed

By hate and guilt

That you could

Not bear the thought

Of returning to me?

Did any of you steal

A vehicle or a coat

And make your way

Down the snow covered

Street? Did any of you

Survive?

I fear that I

Shall never know

The answers to

My questions

Though I long to

These halls are

Empty now; long

Since devoid of

Life

These walls sing

Your names;

Showing me pictures

Of times long gone

Your voices ring

In my ear and I

Turn, expecting

To see you there

But instead I only

See emptiness

Faded pictures

Of you line the

Walls and cover

Every available

Surface

I glance at them,

Wishing that

Somehow they

Would come alive

And I would once again

Have you with me

But alas it is only

The wish of an

Old man haunted

By those who have

Gone before

I never pictured it

Ending this way

In my mind I

Always thought

That I would go

First, preparing

The way for you

I never expected

You to pave the

Way for me

Was it my fault?

I wonder

Could I have

Prevented this had

I gone with you?

If I hadn't insisted

On you going would

You still be here?

Or would you still

Have fallen?

I grow weary

Of this world

And this pathetic

Excuse for a life

Soon I shall be joining

You, my X-Men, if

You truly have fallen

Soon we shall all

Be together again

And at last I shall

Be free of these

Haunted walls

A/N: I know it's not very good but this is what I came up with.


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